SHILLONG: The president of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Lambokstarwell Marngar, asserted that immediate setting up of entry and exit points “is of prime importance” and talks on railway projects “are secondary”.
The remark comes a day after Chief Minister Conrad Sangma met officials of the Northeast Frontier Railway and asserted that the rail route was necessary for the state’s economic development.
Reiterating the union’s opposition to railways in the state, he said, “We don’t want to talk about railways. No means no. We want the government to expedite the setting up of entry/exit point and we will observe how effective and strong the points are to check influx and then talk about railways.”
“Even if the government calls us for talks on the railway projects, our stand is very clear as till date we have not seen any mechanism that the government took to check influx,” he told The Shillong Times.
Marngar said the union has also done its homework with regard to the entry-exit points and said people
in Athiabari in West Khasi Hills, 19 Mer in Ri Bhoi, Khanduli in Jaintia Hills have welcomed the move to set up the points.
Last month, a letter was sent to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma requesting him to convene a meeting with 13 organisations over the comprehensive mechanism to get an update on the progress of the entry-exit points, the KSU leader informed.
“The government has not yet responded, we will wait for some time. The organisations will take decisions on the matter if the government delays. As it is, fourth year is running and we are yet to see visible results of at least one entry/exit point. This is unacceptable,” Marngar said.
